Improvement in cotton-presses



To all whom it may concern lowing is a full, clear, and exact description scribe its construction and operation, refer- "Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

FFICE.

JOHN H. SNYDER, OF

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

' IMPROVEMENT IN COTTQN-PRlESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

April 2 Be it known that I, JOHN H.. SNYDER, of- Richmond, in the county of Henrico, and in the State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Oompress; and do hereby declare that the folthereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, makinga part of this specification.

v The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a cottoncompress, as will be hereinafter more'fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to dering to the annexed drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my compress. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part thereof.

A represents the bed of my machine, upon which, near one end, is formed or attached the grooved platen B. At or near'each end of the platen B rises a guide-post, O, the upper endsof which are connected by a head-block, D, firmly secured thereon. From the back of -the head-block D extend two horizontal strin ers; E, connected with the upper forked end of a standard, Gr, secured near the other end of the bed A. On the top of thehead-block D, between two central lugs thereon, is pivoted one end of a lever, H, which extends backward beyond the standard G. This lever is made concave or hollow on'its under side, and has an arm, I, pivoted therein at a suitable point between the ends of the lever. The lower end of .thearm I is forked, and between the two prongs thereof are pivoted three levers, J, J, and K. The two side levers J J extend toward the rear, and have their other ends pivoted between lugs or projections on the front of the standard G, while the center lever K extends forward, and has its front end pivoted between the lower ends of two hangers, L L, pivoted between lugs or projections on the under. side of the head-block D. The same bolt which pivots the lever K and hangers L L also pivots the upper ends of two [77,579, dated May 16, 1876 application filed 1', 1876.

arms, M M, the lower ends of which are pivoted between suitable projections on the upper side of the follower N. This follower slides upon the vertical guides (J 0. Above the highest point on said guides that the follower will reach there is an arched brace, O, placed against'thefront sides of the guides, and this brace is, by rods P P, connected with side lugs or projections on the standard G, so as to strengthen and brace the frame.

When the parts are bolted together, as indicated, the structure is firm, and will Withstand any strain placed upon it.

From the outer end of the lever H is suspended a rackbar, R, which passes downward and meshes with a pinion, a, secured upon a horizontal shaft, b, and the rack-bar is held in gear with said pinion by a oircumferentiallygrooved friction-roller, d, the back of the rackbar being grooved to fit the same. On the shaft 22 is also secured alarge cog-wheel, S, which meshes with a pinion, e, on another shaft, f. Upon this shaft are placed two loose miter-wheels, V V, which both mesh with a similar wheel, W, on the driving-shaft h. Between the .two miter-wheels V V on the shaft f is a movable feathered clutch, Y, operated bygtelever, Z, to be thrown in gear wit either of the said Wheels V V, or be held between them, as shown in Fig. 3.

jln the practical operation of this compress there will be a very large and heavy fly-wheel attached on the shaft h, which may be revolved at a high rate of speed by a comparatively small boiler and engine. When the operator is then ready for pressing the bale, he throws the clutch Y in'gear with the proper wheel V, and the momentum of the heavy fly-wheel, added to the action. of the engine, will, by means of the pinion a and rack-bar R, draw down the lever H. The combination of arms and levers connecting said lever with the follower N exerts a tremendous pressure on the bale.

\ It will be noticed by the peculiar arrangement of said arms and levers that the pressure is increased the farther the follower descends, so that as the bale gets compressed there is more and more pressure on the same until the pressing is completed, when the operator at once throws the clutch Y out of gear. It will also be seen that the entire weight. of all the operating parts is, in my machine, utilized to aid in compressing the bale.

When the bale is pressed, it is held in the machine until tied, when the clutch Yis thrown in gear with the other wheel V, to raise the follower.

This machine can be built at agreatly-reduced cost, as compared with those now in use, and the expense of running the same is also greatly reduced, as I can use an engine of a vastly smaller size and power than has heretofore been done.

In place of the miter cog'wheels V, V, and W, I may use friction-wheels, to answer the same purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cotton -co1npress, the combination, with the follower N, of the arms M M,-hangers L L, levers K and J J, forked arm I, and

lever H, all arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the mechanism for operating the follower, of the frame-work, consisting of the vertical guides 0 (J, head-block D, stringers E E, standard G, arched brace 0, and rods P P, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The cornbinatiomwith the shaft 1) and its cog-wheel S and pinion a, for operating the rack-bar R, of the shaft f, with pinion e, loose mitergears V V, feathered clutch-Y with lever Z, and the miter-gear-W on the driving-shaft h, all substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of April, 1876.- 4

' JOHN H. SNYDER.

Witnesses:

O. L. Evnn'r,

WILLIAM L. BRAMHALL. 

